Our experts nominate their 'one for the autumn' - a horse they think will make a big impression before the 2026 Flat season is out.
The Reverend (Willie Mullins)
The Reverend had ended his four-year-old campaign on a high with victory in the Old Borough Cup at Haydock just over a year ago on his final start for William Haggas.
Then switched to Willie Mullins to go hurdling, he had mixed fortunes in that discipline, winning stylishly on his debut at Cork but then clipping heels and unseating on the flat when upped to Grade 1 company at the Dublin Racing Festival.
Back at Leopardstown seven months later, The Reverend ran a tremendous race under top weight on his recent return to the Flat in a handicap at the Irish Champions Festival, finishing a never-nearer fourth to Immutable and beaten only a length.
A return to hurdles is no doubt on the cards at some stage, but more immediately he’s worth looking out for in either the Cesarewitch at Newmarket or its Irish equivalent beforehand.
Forty Years On (George Scott)
It’s been a real breakout year for trainer George Scott and, like many others, he’s on record stating he’s got a number of soft-ground horses who have been waiting for autumn conditions all year.
Forty Years On bolted up on soft ground in a Goodwood handicap (defying a mark of 95 in the process) in August and while she let down favourite-backers up to Group 3 level at Doncaster last week, she appeared to have legitimate excuses (replay below).
The daughter of Mayson really can’t have it soft enough and conditions weren’t ideal for her on Town Moor, while she also raced away from some of the other principals in the Sceptre, ending up just under three lengths back in fourth.
On top of that, she was conceding weight to a couple of higher-rated three-year-olds who finished second and third, so it wasn’t a bad effort all told, and she’s surely got more to offer on genuinely testing ground.
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Decade Of Time (Jack Channon)
Decade Of Time looks a horse to follow with the autumn in mind.
Jack Channon’s son of Study Of Man is improving with racing and has come a long way in a short space of time since winning at Windsor on his second start in May. That was over a mile, as was his win in soft ground at Nottingham after that, but he has improved up in trip and looks one for a good 1m4f handicap in the coming weeks (is in the Old Rowley Cup at Newmarket).
He ran another very good race in second at Ascot last time, mugged late in proceedings by Turty Tree, and given he is proven on softer conditions he could well improve again when he encounters 1m4f with a bit of cut in the ground.
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